Research in learning has shown that informative feedback associated with problem solving tasks such as test taking serves an important role in the learning process for individuals. Research has further shown that maximum benefit is accrued when the delay between the completion of a task and the recognition of the informative feedback is minimal. Learning occurs as a function of experience and feedback which can lead to a relatively permanent change in behavior or mental associations, especially when the experience and feedback are strongly perceived. Research has shown that a delay as short as a few seconds in relaying informative feedback for a problem solving task can impede the learning process and reduce overall retention.
Standardized testing typically comprises multiple-choice formats where the answer forms include a series of spaces representing four to five answer choices in a row for each question. When such a test is administered, the test taker is usually required to darken or mark a space usually labeled with a letter (i.e., A, B, C, or D) to indicate the selected answer choice corresponding to a question. Once the test taker completes the test, the answer form is collected and then assessed by the test administrator to determine and tally the correct answer choices. The test taker is not informed of the correct answer choices at the time the selection is made during the test, and usually receives an indication of the correct answer choices at a later time.
During the assessment process, the answer forms are often scored automatically by a scanning device that is sensitive to the darkened answer space in a row of answer spaces for each question, for example. The “correct” answer choice is the answer space on the answer form (labeled A, B, C or D, etc.), which corresponds to a similarly labeled answer choice on the test answer form. If an incorrect answer space is darkened on the answer form, or if more than one answer space in a given row of options is darkened, the scanning device automatically records the test taker's selection as incorrect for that particular question. The total number of correctly marked answer spaces is typically recorded by the scanning device and reported on the test answer form. The capacity of scannable, multiple-choice answer forms to facilitate the evaluation of large numbers of test takers with ease has made them an extremely popular educational tool.
Once the answer forms are evaluated, the test taker finally receives the test results showing the correct and incorrect answer choice selections. At this time, the questions of the test are not easily recalled by the test taker, and the advantage of using informative feedback to facilitate learning is lost. An answer form that would provide immediate informative feedback for the correctness of a test taker's answer choice selection can greatly facilitate learning and improve retention.
An optimal examination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,171, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. The system disclosed includes a multiple-choice type answer form having a series of answer spaces each containing printed indicia designating correct or incorrect answer choices and a removable opaque layer covering each answer space to conceal the printed indicia underneath. Such an answer form can assess the test taker's knowledge while providing the test taker with immediate feedback of the correct and incorrect answer choices selected, thereby teaching new knowledge while at the same time assessing current knowledge. The answer form provides efficient administration and effectively facilitates learning over the methodology described above which do not provide affirming and corrective feedback at the time the answer choice is selected.
However, such answer forms do not provide the test administrator with the flexibility and security in selecting or customizing the answer space indicia (i.e., correct, incorrect, or partial credit) once the forms are covered with the removable opaque layer by the form maker or form provider. By limiting the combination or sequence of correct options of the answer key to those provided by the form maker or form provider, the correct answer choices may be readily predicted by the test taker through knowledge of a particular answer key combination, thereby compromising the integrity of the test. Furthermore, it may be desirable for the test administrator to print customized indicia on the answer form without disturbing the removable opaque layer to assign partial credit or add specific comments, for example, to select answer choices, options which the above described answer form fails to provide.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a test form having a removable opaque layer (e.g., scratch-off material, rub-off material and peel-off material) in which a user can insert and customize information concealed under the removable opaque layer. There is a further need for a test answer form, preferably formatted as a multiple-choice test answer form, which enables a test administrator to customize answer key combinations by printing user-selected indicia concealed beneath the removable opaque layer, thereby enhancing flexibility, security and integrity of the administered test. There is also a need for a method and system for customizing such test answer forms in a convenient manner while keeping the structure of the removable opaque layer intact.